Garbage chute door



Sept. 7, 1965 J. LEGAULT ,7

GARBAGE GHUTE DOOR Filed Jan. 29, 1964 IN l/E N TOR Jean L EGA UL T PATENT AGENT Patented Sept. 7, 1965 The present invention relates to a chute door assembly for the disposal of refuse or garbage and the like, and

which is used in association with incinerators in apartment buildings and the like, but which is more particularly designed for use in association with a garbage disposal chute extending at the exterior of a house for discharging garbage into a garbage can or plastic bag located outside.

Garbage disposal in bungalows and other one-family houses, and also in duplexes or triplexes, is a problem because the kitchen pail has to be taken outside and regularly emptied into a garbage can.

The general object of the present invention resides in the provision of a chute assembly and chute door for the discharge of garbage and other refuse from inside a house directly into a garbage can or plastic bag located outside the house.

Yet another important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a garbage chute door, particularly designed for the chute assembly mentioned hereinabove.

Yet another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a chute door, which forms a double closure uni-t with efficient sealing means, thereby preventing entrance of the exterior cold air and objectionable odours inside the house when the door is in closed position.

Another important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a garbage chute door of the character described, which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

The foregoing and other important objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section of the chute and door assembly and partial elevation of the chute and garbage can housing, and in which the door is in closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a partial longitudinal section of the door and chute assembly, showing the door in open position; and

FIGURE 3 is a plan section through the door and part of the chute.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, reference character A indicates the exterior Wall of a house, or other building, which may consist, for instance, of exterior brick layer 1, vapour barrier sheeting and insulation 2, wood uprights 3, and interior wall 4. An opening of rectangular or square cross-section is made through wall A and a duct 5, of similar cross-section and made of sheet metal or the like, is fitted within said opening and extends outwardly from the brick layer 1.

The outer end of duct 5 communicates with the chute assembly 6 of sheet metal construction, said chute assembly having a horizontal leg 7, fitting over duct 5, and a vertical leg 8, of suitable length, the lower end of which opens within a box or housing 9, resting on the ground outside the house and provided with a door 10 for inserting and removing a conventional garbage can 11, which is placed directly underneath the lower open end of vertical leg 8 of the chute assembly 6. Alternately, can 11 may be replaced by a plastic bag, the mouth of which fits over the lower open end of chute leg 8.

Chute 6 is further provided withh an extension 12 at its upper end, having a ventilating opening covered by a screen 13.

The top and bottom walls of the outer end of duct 5 are extended and bent back inside said duct to form inclined partition members 14 and 14', in the shape of an inverted funnel, the smaller end of which is directed towards the inside of the house and forms a mouth opening 15, which is disposed in a plane spaced from the inner end 16 of'duct 5.

Said inner end 16 is fitted within the end of a door frame 17 overlying the marginal portion of the interior wall 4 at the wall opening.

A door 18, of a shape to fit the door frame 17, is pivoted at the center of its sides by means of pivot pins 19 directly to the sides of door frame 17.

Door 18 is of sheet metal construction, the sides of which are provided with integral side flanges 20 of semicircular shape, the arcuate edges of which being interconnected, at the outermost portion of said side flanges, by a curved transverse closure plate 21, adapted to close mouth 15 in the closed position of door 18. The top transverse edge of plate 21 is bent back to form an outwardly protruding bead 22, in which is fitted a sealing gasket 23, which is adapted to abut against the top face of the upper inclined partition member 14 in the closed position of the door assembly.

Similarly, the lower edge of curved closure plate 21 is provided with an outwardly protruding bead 24, supporting a gasket 25 adapted to abut against the inside face of the lower inclined partition member 14 in the closed position of the door assembly.

Curved sealing strips 26, made of felt, rubber or the like, are disposed between each side flange 20 and the adjacent side wall portions of duct S, and may be secured to one or the other of said elements. Strips 26, together with sealing gaskets 23 and 25, completely seal the mouth opening 15 in the closed position of the door assembly. The door 18 itself effects a good closure of the inner end of duct 5; thus, the chute is closed by the door and by plate 21 at two spaced locations with inter-position of an air chamber. This completely prevents entrance of cold air and bad odours within the house and water of condensation from forming on the door 18 at the inner face thereof.

When the door is opened by means of handle 27, secured thereto, bead 24 abuts against the inner face of the edge of the top inclined partition member 14, while bead 22 abuts against a shoulder 28, formed in door frame 17. Thus, the door assembly is positively maintained in an inclined position, in which garbage may be discharged down the chute into garbage can 11.

The inside face of the door 18 proper, together with the inside faces of the side flanges 20, are lined with a removable trough-like element 29, the side flanges 30 of which frictionally contact the side flanges 20 of the door proper and the web 31 of which abuts against top inturned lip 3-2 of the door 18, while the lower edge of web is formed as a U-shaped channel 33, into which fits lower inturned lip 34 of door 18. Thus, web 31 is maintained in spaced relationship from the main port'iOn of door 18 to form an additional air space to further improve the insulating properties of the chute door. Moreover, web 31 protects pivots 19 against foreign material.

Said pivots 19 preferably consist of spring-loaded pins, the outer ends of which protrude within a nylon bushing, fitted within holes made in the sides of door frame 17. Thus, the entire door assembly can be removed from door frame 17 by simply first removing the troughlike element 29 and then pulling on the pivot pins against the action of their spring.

In the open position of the door, the web 31 of element 29 is in inclined position in alignment and joining with the lower inclined partition member 14', and garbage is discharged through the passage defined by web 31 and closure plate 21.

A curved plate 35 is secured to the lower edge of mouth 15 and is concentric and co-extensive with the outer edges of side flanges 20. This plate 35 prevents wedging of the door assembly by foreign material in the case the door is not sufliciently open when garbage is discharged through the chute.

Curved plate 21 of the door assembly closes the space between duct 5 and the upper partition member 14 in the open position of the door assembly, such that garbage cannot enter said space. Y While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a chute for garbage and other materials, a door assembly therefor comprising a flat sided duct having one end in communication with said chute, a door fitting the other end of said duct and pivotally mounted therein, said door having a pair of inwardly protruding side flanges extending along the sides of said duct, a transverse closure plate secured to both side flanges of said door and spaced from said door so as to leave a passage for garbage and the like between said door and said closure plate, partition members extending within said duct defining a restricted mouth opening spaced inwardly from said other end of said duct, said door, side flanges and closure plate pivotable between an open position and a closed position, said closure plate closing said mouth opening and said door closing said other end of said duct in said closed position, and said closure plate clearing said mouth opening and said door taking an inclined position with its lower edge in alignment with and joining the lower transverse edge of said mouth opening in said open position, whereby garbage and other materials may be discharged into said chute through said pass-age.

2. In a chute as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivotal mounting of said door is located on a transverse axis passing through substantially the center of the sides of said door, and said closure plate is curved and concentric with said pivotal mounting axis.

3. In a chute as claimed in claim 2, wherein said side flanges have substantial-1y semi-circular edges and said curved plate is connected to the portions of said edges outermost of said door.

4. In a chute as claimed in claim 3, wherein said curved plate has upper and lower transverse edges formed with outwardly protruding beads adapted to abut the transverse upper and lower edges of said mouth opening in said closed position.

5. In a chute as claimed in claim 4, wherein sealing gaskets are carried by said beads to make a tight engagement with said mouth opening in said closed position.

6. In a chute as claimed in claim 1, further including a removable trough-like element, having a web and side flanges positioned on the inside of said door and between the side flanges of said door.

7. In a chute as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivotal mounting of said door includes spring pivot pins mounted in said door and removably engaging holes made in said duct.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 726,261 4/03 Cutler 232- 2,802,434 8/57 Dowse 193-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 128,407 6/50 Sweden. 175,438 5/61 Sweden.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CHUTE FOR GARBAGE AND OTHER MATERIALS, A DOOR ASSEMBLY THEREFOR COMPRISING A FLAT SIDED DUCT HAVING ONE END IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHUTE, A DOOR FITTING THE OTHER END OF SAID DUCT AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTED THEREIN, SAID DOOR HAVING A PAIR OF INWARDLY PROTRUDING SIDE FLANGES EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDES OF SAID DUCT, A TRANSVERSE CLOSURE PLATE SECURED TO BOTH SIDE FLANGES OF SAID DOOR AND SPACED FROM SAID DOOR SO AS TO LEAVE A PASSAGE FOR GARBAGE AND THE LIKE BETWEEN SAID DOOR AND SAID CLOSURE PLATE, PARTITION MEMBERS EXTENDING WITHIN SAID DUCT DEFINING A RESTRICTED MOUTH OPENING SPACED INWARDLY FROM SAID OTHER END OF SAID DUCT, SAID DOOR, SIDE FLANGES AND CLOSURE PLATE PIVOTABLE BETWEEN AN OPENING POSITION AND A CLOSED POSITION, SAID CLOSURE PLATE CLOSING SAID MOUTH OPENING AND SAID DOOR CLOSING SAID OTHER END OF SAID DUCT IN SAID CLOSED POSITION, AND SAID CLOSURE PLATE CLEARING SAID MOUTH OPENING AND SAID DOOR TAKING AN INCLINED POSITION WITH ITS LOWER EDGE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE JOINING THE LOWER TRANSVERSE EDGE OF SAID MOUTH OPENING IN SAID OPEN POSITION, WHEREBY GARBAGE AND OTHER MATERIALS MAY BE DISCHARGED INTO SAID CHUTE THROUGH SAID PASSAGE. 